Food

How to make dulce de leche

Food

How to make dulce de leche

Dulce de leche is definitely one of the most delicious things on the planet. Period. Did you know that it's also super easy to make? Trust me, once you try this, you'll never - ever - want to buy it again. How thick or thin you make your dulce de leche is up to you. I like mine quite thick because it can be used as a spread and I especially love it in
alfajores (my favourite cookies). Some people have reservations about making dulce de leche by boiling it inside the can (most likely because they've heard horror stories of exploding cans). For the record, this has never happened to me, but in the interest of safety, I would recommend using the double boiler method below.
Here's how you can make dulce de leche at home: Pour 1 (300 mL) can sweetened condensed milk into a large heat proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir and scrape down the sides of the bowl every 20 minutes and topping up the water in the saucepan if needed, until the condensed milk is thick and caramel-coloured, about 2-1/2 hours.
(Make-ahead: Scrape into an airtight container or a sterilized mason jar and let cool. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks).Tip: Dulce de leche will thicken even more once cooled, so stop before you get to the actual thickness you want.Here are some delicious ideas for your homemade dulce de leche: - Heat gently and drizzle on top of brownies or ice cream - Heat gently and drizzle onto popcorn sprinkled with some fleur de sel - Spread on top of cookies, cakes, crepes or pancakes - Stir into hot chocolate -
Dulce de leche butter icing for cakes and cupcakes - Heat gently and pour on top of a cheesecake - Heat gently and drizzled onto
scones - Spread onto the top of a
dessert pizzaPhotography by Irene Fong

Moisture Surge
Smooth out dull, dry and stressed out hair with an aggressive hydration regime. The key is to get a good base, first replenish then protect. "If you're prone to frizzy hair, try and use a smoothing shampoo," says Smith. If your hair is particularly parched, a heavy-duty hair mask should be applied once every week says Smith. Avoid oil slicked hair by distancing the product from the roots, two to three inches should do the trick. In between masks Smith recommends applying argan oil to damp hair post shower. "The oil will help weigh down the hair, which will in turn helps smooth out the frizz," says Smith.

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Tame Flyways
Avoid any products with alcohol, it can dry hair out further. You can try an alcohol free hairspray or something a little more weighty. Smith recommends using a finishing cream. "I love Unite's Second Day ($25) because its a really light cream but still does it's job of weighing down flyways." Another old school trick is the rinse your hair with cold water, this helps cool the cuticle and slams down any breakage, which minimizes flyaways and makes hair look shinier. Another oldie but a goldie tip; run a Bounce dryer sheet over your hair to reduce the static, that can cause flyways.

Easy On The Heat
"Anytime you use a hot tool use a heat protectant, that's going to shield you from breakage [which causes hair to look frizzy] and makes the hair look healthier," says Smith. Be it your straightener, blowdryer or curling iron, heat can cause hair to look frayed. If your budget permits, invest in heat tools with ionic technology. They help to reduce frizz by compressing the cuticle, which fights off moisture. Just remember, less is more when it comes to heat tools and blow dryers.

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Proper Technique
If your goal is to get your hair looking super sleek—and having it stay that way—it comes down to mastering a blowout. After a serum or argan oil is applied to damp hair, spritz on the heat protector and rough dry with your blowdryer. "You want to rough dry until your hair is 70-80% dry," says Smith. Smooth things out by applying the nozzle and using a round brush, "aiming the nozzle down will help close the hair's cuticles [this is the outermost part of the hair shaft and it's formed from dead cells, overlapping in layers] down, which helps it look really sleek and shiny," says Smith.

Contests

Our 60-Day Holiday Countdown Giveaway is on!

From November 2 to December 31, 2016, we're giving away weekly prizes (for a total value of over $15,000) as part of our 60-Day Holiday Countdown.

For easy access to our weekly prizes, sign up for our 60-Day Holiday Countdown newsletters and you'll receive a daily email featuring a link to enter that week's contest, along with Tested Till Perfect holiday recipes, awesome gift guides, DIY decor ideas and more. You can enter to win each prize once daily until each contest closes.

You can enter to win this week's prize below, and see past contests and winners.

Contests

You could win a luxurious trip to Quebec City!

Contests

You could win a luxurious trip to Quebec City!

The film Collateral Beauty explores the deep bond between friends. Why not celebrate it with your best friend? Enter for a chance to win a trip to the luxurious Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City. Click here to enter.

Prize:

There is one (1) prize (“Prize”) to be won. The Prize will include the following:

One (1) round trip airfare, based on economy class, for two (2) adults from a Canadian gateway to Quebec City

Two (2) night stay in a single standard room at the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Quebec City